Ments



(No Model.)

F. R. BROWN.

GAB, COUPLING.-

' Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

A TTORNE Y.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS R. BROWVN, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO THE GLOBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,249, dated April 5,1892.

Application filed November 25, 1891. Serial No. 418.128. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residingat Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art IO to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplers; and the object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the class stated which shall beof simple and economical construction, reliable, durable, efficient inuse, and thoroughly automatic in operation.

To these ends the invention consists of the features, arrangements, andcombinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated an embodiment of my improveddevice.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section takenthrough the center of a draw-head provided with my improved couplingmechanism. Fig. 2 is another view of the draw-head, the rear portionbeing shown in elevation and the forward part in horizontal longitudinalsection. Fig. 3 is an end view of a car partly broken away, showing thedraw-head in place and attachments whereby the cars may be uncoupledeither from the top or outside thereof.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elementsof the mechanism in the several views, let the numeral 5 designate thedraw-head, 6 the central opening therethrough, and 7 the bar or rodconnecting the draw-head with the car. Therear extremity of thedraw-head is shouldered, as shown at 8, and adapted to engage theflanges 9 of the clamp 10, forming a cage for the springs 12 andfollowers 13, which are located in the chamber 14, lying between therear extremity of the draw-head and the rear end of the clamp. The clampis secured in place upon the draw-head by a bolt 15, located justforward of the head 7 of bolt 7. The forward portion of the draw-head iscentrally recessed or cut away at the top, as shown at 16, forming twoopenings through the upper part of the head, extending to thelongitudinal opening 6. This recess 16 is formed forthe reception of thecurved looking or coupling arm 17, the rear extremity of which isprovided with an elongated aperture 18 for the reception of a horizontalpin 19, passed through a suitable opening in the draw-head andformingthe retaining-pivot for the curved locking-arm. Arm 17 issemicircular in shape, and its extremities enter the openings formedthrough the top of the draw-head, asshown in'Fig. 1. The face of theforward extremity of arm 17 is beveled, as shown at 20, while just abovethis beveled face is formed a shoulder 21, adapted to engage the upperpart of the draw-head when the coupling-arm is in the locked position.To the upper portion of arm 17 is pivoted one extremity of a link 24 bypassing a bolt or rivet through a suitable opening 22, formed in the topof the arm. The opposite extremity of link 24 is pivoted to a crank-arm25, made fast to a movable rod or bar 26, attached to the end of the carand terminating in an outer crank arm or handle 27. Link 2 1 is providedwith a central rivet 24., surrounded by a short sleeve placed betweenthe parts of the link to keep them in place when disconnected from itsattachments. To the link 24-. is connected a chain or rod 24", extendingupward to the top of the car and affording a means for lifting thecoupling and S5 uncoupling the cars from the top of the train. Myimproved coupling-arm is adapted for use with the ordinary link 28,which is shown in position in Figs.'2 and 3. The bottom of thelink-recess is inclined, as shown at 29, and 9c in such a manner as tocause the link when loose in the draw-head to occupy an inclinedposition with its outer extremity uppermost, so that the link may be inposition to the more readily enter the link-recess of the opposite 5approaching draw-head. The draw-head is provided with a horizontalopening 30, formed through its sides in line with the rear portion ofthe link-recess. The object of this opening is to afiord access to therear extremity 10o of the link for the purpose of forcing the linkforward when the two draw-heads are together and the link is too shortto couple. This diffioulty is often encountered by train-men for thereason that no standard link as regards length has as yet been adoptedby railroad companies, and as a result the links in use are not ofuniform lengths. When the cars have been moved to the coupling positionand the two draw-heads are in contact, if the link does not projectsufficiently from the one into the recess of the other for couplingpurposes the train-man has only to insert into opening 30 a stick, rod,or anything accessible and shove the link forward into the oppositedrawhead. I-leretofore un der similar circumstances it has beennecessary to separate the cars, insert the hand, and draw the linkforward from the outer extremity of the draw-head.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved coupler willbe fully understood. Assuming that the coupling-arm is in the positionshown in Fig. 1, when the link of the opposite draw-head engages theouter extremityor face of the arm the latteris first forced backwardbodily until its pin 19 engages the forward extremity of the slottedaperture 18. This movement is suflicient to disengage or unlock shoulder21 of the arm from the engaging part of the drawhead. This having beenaccomplished, the continued pressure of the link, acting on the inclinedface 20 of the arm, raises said arm to the position shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1, allowing the link to enterthe recess, when thecouplingarm falls by gravity to the locked position,

and as soon as the cars move forward the coupling-arm is again drawn toits forward limit of movement, with its shoulder engaging the draw-head,as shown in Fig. 1. The linkrecess is slightly enlarged laterally, asshown at 35, to permitthe required lateral movement of the link inmaking curves. The draw-head is further provided with a verticalaperture 36, formed in its forward portion for the reception of theordinary coupling-pin when for any reason such use may be necessary ordesirable. The cars may be uncoupled either by turning rod 26 from theoutside of the car and thus lifting the coupling-arm, or by raising thearm directly bypulling upon a chain or rod 2a from the top of the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In a ear-coupler,the combination, with the draw-head provided with the top recess, of thecurved or semicircular coupling-arm located in said recess and pivot-edthrough its rear extremity, its forward extremity being beveled andlying in the path of the link, and means for lifting the coupling-arm,consisting of a link pivoted to the arm at one extremity and to a crankatthe opposite extremity, said crankarm being connected with a movablerod extending to the outside of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS R. BRQWN.

\Vitnesses:

WM. MoCoNNIJLL, G. J. RoLLANDnL.

